Oak Ridge sweeps Vista in volleyball

There was no fourth game on Monday night as the Oak Ridge Trojans (3-0) continued their hot start to the season, defeating the Vista del Lago Eagles 25-15, 25-21, 25-18.
Oak Ridge coach Tom Van Der Wende and Trojan captain Jonathon Tuttle both rejoined the team for its third consecutive win. An impressive 7-0 run by the Trojans in the first game had them out in front 16-6 and set the tone for the night.
Tuttle topped off the longest rally of the match in the second game with one of his six total kills. Game three saw three ties early on, but finished with another Storm Van Soldt kill.
Tuttle, Tim Spykerman and Chris Gomm led their team with six kills apiece. Trent Stigerts injected five.
Game-high honors went to Vista’s Griffin Galvin with seven kills. His athletic efforts kept Nathan Lambert busy on the opposite side of the net. Lambert tallied 18 digs, Tuttle added eight and Gomm six against the target shooting Galvin offered up.
“This team has the chance to do really well in league this year,” said Galvin. “We just have to get in that practice time and despite having a small team I think we have great chances to make an impact on league.”
The Eagles took Jesuit (probably Oak Ridge’s biggest competition in the new-look Delta River League) to four games, winning their first and so far only game of the season thus far. They ultimately fell 3-1.
Connor Dunham made his contributions with another big assist game with 22. Four-of-five points in a row came on kills back and forth from both teams late in the second game and Dunham’s assist to Tuttle capped it.
Just back from the flu, Tuttle said he still wasn’t 100 percent, but felt good enough to jump back into the mix.
“I’m happy that it was a win, but I’m disappointed in how we played,” said Tuttle. “The way we came out was really flat and we weren’t talking a lot. We were also a little slow on defense and these are all not up to the standards we need to play at against Del Oro tomorrow and the rest of the season.”
Like any team leader Tuttle led by example. Besides fighting the flu, he popped in those team-high six kills in just the first two games.
Van Der Wende added to Tuttle’s assessment of a flat Trojan team that may have been looking ahead to the next game against Del Oro.
“The only thing good about it was that everybody got in and got some game time and we did get the win out of it,” said Van Der Wende.
Vista coach Wayne Campbell and his roster of seven players matched up against an experienced Oak Ridge team with club players and Sac-Joaquin Section playoff contenders.
“Oak Ridge pretty much controlled the match. One of our struggles was that we didn’t serve well and we didn’t serve receive well,” said Campbell. “If you don’t do those two things well, then the rest of your game kind of falls apart. We’re pretty solid if we pass well and we just struggled tonight with that is all.”
Vista had numbers of good sparks in rallies and beat back the Trojans on several occasions. Connor Tevenan had back-to-back kills trailing 15-9 in the third game and Galvin followed with two aces to draw within four.
Tomorrow begins Oak Ridge’s heavy-hitting three-game match ups against Del Oro on Tuesday and Rocklin and Granite Bay next week.
The Eagles (who lost previously to Del Oro, 3-0) play at Folsom on Friday before beginning conference play at El Dorado and then Golden Sierra.